Helen Taft Manning

Helen Herron Taft Manning (August 1, 1891 – February 21, 1987) was an American professor of history and college dean. She was the middle child and only daughter of U.S. President William Howard Taft and his wife Helen Herron. Personal life Like her older brother Robert and younger brother Charles, Helen Taft was a high achiever. She was able to reach goals that her mother had not been granted access to due to the social restrictions placed on women of her mother's time. She graduated from The Baldwin School in 1908. She earned a scholarship to attend Bryn Mawr College, where she was a student when her father was elected president in 1908. Taft's studies were interrupted for some time when her mother had a stroke, and was left an invalid. She moved into the White House with her family, and helped her mother to regain body movement and speech. Taft also served as official hostess for many White House functions while her mother was disabled. In December, 1910, she was given a debutante party at the White House. After her mother recovered, she resumed her studies at Bryn Mawr, graduating in 1915 with a bachelor's degree in history. She was a suffragist, and traveled the country, giving speeches in support of the vote for women and women's rights.